Smoking Cigarettes and Tooth Loss in Adults: A Population-Based Analysis.

Introduction

Smoking cigarettes is widely recognized as a significant risk factor for tooth loss.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the association between cigarette smoking, smoking cessation, and the number of remaining teeth in an adult population.

Methods

Data from the Bialystok Plus population study, collected between November 2018 and January 2024, were analyzed. Participants were stratified into young (20-44 years), middle-aged (45-64 years), and older (65 years and above) groups. The outcome was the number of lost teeth. Smoking status (non-smoker vs. ever smoker and former smoker vs. current smoker) and smoking duration were the main independent variables. Additional variables included age, sex, dental habits and medical history. Risk factor analysis was done with generalized linear models using the negative binomial family.

Results

Ever smoking was significantly associated with tooth count. Differences in the number of remaining teeth between former and current smokers were observed across age groups but not in the overall population. Current smokers exhibited a significantly greater decline in the number of teeth with an increasing fraction of life spent smoking compared to former smokers. Negative binomial regression models showed that ever smoking, when adjusted for age and diabetes, was a risk factor of tooth loss, but a protective effect of smoking cessation was not confirmed.

Conclusions

This study confirmed that tobacco addiction is associated with tooth loss. Being a current smoker remained non-significant as a risk factor for tooth loss when compared to former smoker status.